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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920890">The First Step</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AColl98/pseuds/AColl98'>AColl98</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>2005 - Fandom, Innocent Steps, dancing princess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Begin Again, Chasing dreams, F/M, Forgiveness, INSPIRATIONAL, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, Reunited lovers, Role Reversal, dance, knee injury</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:08:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>906</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AColl98/pseuds/AColl98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for directly after the movie. Chae Rin returns to say goodbye to her old dance teacher turned lover and finds him to be the same broken and shamed man she found him to be when she first met him. Can she turn his life around again?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jang Chae Rin/Na Young Sae, Mentor/Mentee - Relationship, teacher/student - Relationship</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The First Step</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eventually, the dancing stopped. Chae-rin could feel how tired Young-sae was by how heavily he leaned on her. Glancing into his face with a small smile, she guided him to the kitchen and into a chair. She watched sadly as she saw his posture collapse with fatigue; but as he turned his head her direction, she plastered a smile back on. Running a hand through his hair, she cocked an eyebrow. “Have you eaten?” He shakes his head slowly causing her to smile. “Wait here. I’ll make you something.” As she turned to go, she felt him catch her arm. Turning back to him with an inquisitive expression, she watches with surprise as he pulls her hand to his lips and presses a light kiss to it. When he looks back up at her, she’s taken back by the immense amount of vulnerability radiating from his eyes. In a breath, it’s gone, replaced by gratitude and curiosity. He, then, smiles and indicates towards the kitchen as if to say “get going”. She chuckles and rummages around the kitchen. Finding a familiar very little, she settles for ramen with chopped onions and celery. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither talked much during dinner; they just watched each other. Or rather Chae-rin watched Young-sae and Young-sae watched his bowl. After dinner, Young-sae made to get up, but almost didn’t make it. Light on her feet, Chae-rin caught him and carefully helped him up. Letting him lead the way, Chae-rin supported him to the couch. When he flopped down she looked at him quizzically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you want to sleep on the bed?” But he was already asleep. Sighing, she smiled. Placing a pillow under his head and pulling the covers up to his chin, Chae-rin returned to the kitchen where she proceeded to clean up. She got so into cleaning that she wound up cleaning the whole apartment, only stopping to get Young-sae water when he woke up briefly at 2 am.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soft light filters through the dirty windows onto his face, warming the skin and slowly waking Young-sae. He groans with exhaustion and pain, attempting to shift to a more comfortable position, he suddenly freezes. Lying next to his arm is a head of straight black hair, resting on his arm, as the rest of the petite body lounges against the couch for support. Young-sae gulps as he brushes away the hair covering the face of the limp body next to him. He inhales sharply when he clearly sees the face. He hadn’t been dreaming! She had come back! He can’t help but smile with excitement seeing her again. It takes him a moment to notice the position she is in again and realize how uncomfortable it will be when she wakes up. Carefully, he scotches past her and rolls onto his feet from the couch. Careful not to antagonize his knee, he picks her up and gently places her where he had just been sleeping, arranging a pillow under her head and tucking her coat across her body. She groans with the movement and shifts as soon as he has her settled on the couch. Guiltily, he glances towards the bed, wishing he had enough strength to carry her there. As he broods on the thought, she slowly wakes. He is eventually pulled out of his musings by the sliding of her small delicate hand into his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you thinking?” she asks, her soft morning voice only barely reaching his ears. He sighs as his eyes sweep to his trophies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t offer you any kind of life you had before. You were headed home to China right? Maybe you should just keep going back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stands and shakes her head as she wraps her arms around his waist. “I don’t want any life but this one. Here. with you. We can make it be whatever we want. Nothing waits for me back home. But you were waiting for me here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have family in China. You have improved your dancing. You could go back and be successful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want to dance with anyone with you. And I won’t dance for anyone but you again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chae-rin,” Young-sae sighs, shaking his head at her familiar stubbornness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t.” She says stepping in front of him and placing a hand over his lips. “Don’t say whatever it is you were going to say. I won’t listen. You will dance again. If you can teach someone like me to dance, then you can learn to dance again too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My dancing days are over, Chae-rin,” Young-sae whispers against her fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only if you say they are,” she replies determinedly. She gestures to his knee. “Did you want this to happen?” He shakes his head. “Do you want to be done dancing?” She watches conflict flash across his face and decides to change the question. “Do you want to dance with me again?” He nods, slowly. “Then, we’ll dance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stepping away from him, Chae-rin shrugs off the coat that she never took off last night, and hangs it over the back of one of the chairs by the table, along with her scarf. She then gracefully slides off her heels and places them at the foot of the chair. With two slow, purposeful steps she centers herself in the middle of the room and holds out a hand to Young-sae, smiling softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All you need to do is be brave enough to take the first step.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
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